Lebron - The King of Player Empowerment

I don't think anyone foresaw that this offseason was going to be just as dramatic starring Lebron as "The Decision" was back in the day.  Back in 2010, the drama surrounded King James holding something like a news conference to announce his free agency decision which, like I can't think of any other sports star who ever did that, even to this day.

Now, a solid 16 years later, it's rather about dude taking his sweet, aged time in officially deciding where to go.  For all we know, he may even end up just being like 'fuck it, I quit'.

Sometimes, looking at the way he's behaving, you get the impression that maybe he's uninspired by this point, no longer being a max player and shit like that.  James Harden is slated to make more money than Lebron next season, if you can imagine that.

LBJ, defensive shortcomings and all, is more effective than many, if not most max players out there, which kinda makes you wonder why he's being forced to take such a massive paycut to begin with.  He's a reigning allstar, for crying out loud, about to take a vet min.  That's unheard of.

But that being said, since he is still delaying and still the biggest headline in the NBA, I wanted to use this opportunity to revisit how he may fare on the teams he shortlisted.  Nothing has really changed from three weeks ago, other than more stars from those franchises making their pitches.

What I do find interesting is that no player from other teams that could clearly use Lebron (like the Pistons) haven't at least pressed their luck.  No one wants to feel embarrassed or ignored or humiliated.  But at the same time, as the old saying goes, "you have to be in it to win it".

Lebron delaying has given us all a chance to think more deeply about his preferred options.  So here's an updated analysis of the LBJ sweepstakes:

FEELING SORRY FOR THE LAKERS

But first off, let's start with LAL because, they're now the shining example of braintrust asininity, of what happens when you put the wrong minds in charge of a premiere franchise.  Why would you force your most popular player out the door, just to come out of it all looking worse than before?  I dare anybody to call the Lakers a contender.

They aren't in the worse of situations tho.  They still have Luka, one of the few players who can consistently takeover games.  LAL also has been the recipient of perhaps more favoritism than any other team in recent years.  That favor doesn't translate into multiple championships like it used to, but maybe it still exists.  And also they're now, surprisingly enough, the whitest team in the NBA, and, you know, we are living in the Trump era.

That said, if these guys don't actually win games, they're going to quickly transform into the team you love you hate.  And when their mediocrity does become apparent, remember who pointed it out first, how this offseason has been a bust, unless the primary goal was simply to get rid of Lebron and come out of it all at least looking they're trying to compete.

Upon James's departure, these dudes instantly gained $50+ million in spending money - i.e. superstar, franchise player dough - and used it basically to sign Walker Kessler, who you can't even confidently predict will ever make an allstar game.  All things considered, they prolly would have been better off exercising patience and keeping it in the bank.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

A couple of weeks ago, I said out of all teams on Lebron's shortlist, Philly was the best option in terms of him actually winning a championship, and the media quickly picked up on that idea.  But I don't feel as strongly about that as I did before.  

If Lebron does go there, I'm foreseeing something like Embiid managing his load for the entire regular season and then returning for the postseason.  When it comes to load management, I guess you can pull it off and still win when your core consists of really talented, veteran players.  It didn't work for the Celtics last season, but you know what I mean.

The problem with Philly is that yes, they've had an exceptional offseason, but who's going to backup Joel?  Or put otherwise, why didn't they place more of a priority on landing a backup C, instead of focusing on wings?

When dude inevitably misses large swarths of the season or perhaps even postseason, are we really supposed to expect an aged Lebron to play the 5, now in the Wemby era?  Maybe it's possible that the Sixers + Lebron can win it all even with a hobbled Embiid, but all things considered I doubt it.

MIAMI HEAT

I've now come to favor the Heat more, based on one simple realization.  Actually, I was watching some 'NBA greatest highlights' clip which featured this ECF game, I think from 2007, where Lebron scored 25 points straight(!), mostly on jumpshots, and led the Cavs to a come-from-behind victory.

Then, I was thinking about those performances he put up against the Thunder a couple of months ago, as well as some of his past All-Star games.  And this is the realization I came to - Lebron can actually shoot.  I don't know what his percentages and all that kinda shit looks like, but in big games he can make jumpshots.

Even if they did score King James, it can be argued that Heat's roster lacks shooting as compared to competitors, but it isn't as bad as it may look on paper.  And the best thing about this scenario is that finally, Lebron would be on a roster, with Giannis + Bam down low, that actually rationalizes him playing like a G despite his size.

Also, here's another thing to keep in mind.  When Lebron returned to the Cavs, the implication was that he did so in part due to feeling guilty, given the way he deserted them the first time around.  Well, if that's the way you feel about it, then it can be said that he did the Heat even dirtier, because they were actually contenders when he bounced.  So, that's just something to keep in mind.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Cleveland also has twin towers, and Lebron + Allen + Mobley would be absolutely fearful.  Those latter two may not be as all-around talented as Giannis + Bam, but needing the King's scoring more, they may be a better fit.

But that said, I'm still having a hard time picturing LBJ and the Beard playing together.  As the old NBA Inception adage goes, "two chucks don't make a right".

Spider, btw, is a chuck also, though more deservingly so than Harden imo.  But unlike the Beard, he knows how to defer yet still prove effective, so I can picture him coexisting with Lebron.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

There hasn't been a lot less chatter of late about the possibility of LBJ going to Minnesota or Denver.  But here's an interesting observation about the Twolves.  Lebron is actually more level-headed at the point than LaMelo is, so it's not like he would absolutely have to play the 4.  Also, Lebron + Gobert may actually work, perhaps being an even better fit than Lebron + AD, because by this point in his career, LBJ is strictly offense, while Rudy is strictly defense.  James can not only play point but also mitigate Minny's lowpost scoring deficiencies.

In hindsight, yes, you have to applaud the Wolves for being aggressive and making bold, headline-generating moves.  Randle, all things considered, had to go.  But losing Reid hurts, and I'm not convinced Minny needs LaMelo as much as they needed Naz.  And if Lebron does come to town, LaMelo is going to have to learn to play off the ball, which I'm not sure he can do.

DENVER NUGGETS

The Nuggets, not OKC, is the poster child for a team who's paying so much for their core that they lack financial flexibility to put the right pieces around them.  And I guess you could say relatedly, they also have a really hard time retaining quality role players.  Concerning Denver's braintrust, they are above average and have been for like the last 20+ years.  But bold they are not.

So this coming season, even if they do re-sign Watson, they'll also likely be the poster child for a team that's unable to capitalize on the youth wave.  They aren't as confined to the geriatric ward as the Warriors are.  But calling these dudes contenders, even with (the overrated) Jokic, is a stretch.

And the interesting thing about it is that if Lebron does come over, he'll likely play the 2, replacing Braun basically, because there's no logical reason really to move Gordon or Watson out of the (starting) frontline to accommodate him.  Wow, old ass Lebron, despite his defensive deficiencies, is still a deserving starter, regardless of which of these teams he goes to.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

I already made an argument for the Warriors in my last post.  LBJ's presence isn't likely to translate into a championship given their current roster (and the injuries thereof), but it will be really exciting from a fan standpoint.  Despite not looking like contenders on paper and despite headlining stars from a generation ago, the Warriors will instantly become the most must-watch team in the NBA (though it's going to be painful when Lebron or Steph are injured).

And I mean, who knows?  If Steph had just one consistent scoring partner, dudes actually would've made the playoffs last postseason.

You can believe in miracles with Curry on your squad.  And when dudes actually want to play together, I mean a lot of times shit like that doesn't work out.  But given LBJ's and Steph's resume, and if this organization can effectively embrace youth a bit more, maybe something special can happen.  And please, if you haven't already, get the Gauntlet back.  Like learn from the past type shit.

"A BUSINESS DECISION"

Note how Rich Paul most recently pointed out, twice, that choosing his next team is "a business choice" for Lebron.  He didn't say anything about being close to his family or the possibility of winning a championship.  And indeed, what would it really matter if Lebron won more championships?  Even if he did reach Jordan it wouldn't mean as much since, regardless of what team he goes to, he isn't likely to be the primary option.

That's something to also keep in mind, that out of all the teams on LBJ's shortlist the Warriors are in a position to pay him the most.  In the grand scheme of his finances, $15mil(!) may not be much.  But going back to the James Harden / max player argument presented earlier, how much you're paid is considered a sign of respect.  And btw, with Bronny and the fam being based in LA, San Fran is also nearer than any of his other options.

CONCLUSION

The way players are taking paycuts and shit like that, it may look like the ball is shifting back into the owners' court.  But the Lebron era has not officially concluded yet.  You have Silver and co. like 'dude, make your decision already, so we can put the TV schedule together'.  And his response is basically like 'kiss my ass, I'm taking my time'.

That's one thing we're going to miss if Lebron ever retires, as he is the king of player empowerment.  These young superstars dominating the league these days, they don't appear to have that type of destiny.